5.8 Changing signs

English Notes

BSL Video

Changing Signs

Sometimes signs start off being highly visually motivated but as they become conventionalised over time, they become more arbitrary e.g. we do not see the visual origin of SISTER and BROTHER today but they may have been visually motivated once. Another example is the sign HOUSE. In the past, the hands sketched out a much clearer and fuller outline of a typical house, but now the sign is less strongly visually motivated.